JBPM REPORTS RISE IN FAKE EMERGENCY CALLS OVER PAST THREE YEARS

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) is taking seriously the increase in false emergency calls over the past three years, even though the total remains low compared with actual emergency calls.

According to the department’s statistics, 141 false calls were recorded in 2023, rising to 196 in 2024 and reaching 211 as of September 2025.

“Although the number of false calls remains relatively low, the year-on-year increase is alarming and requires serious attention.

“False emergency calls not only affect the efficiency of emergency services but also endanger lives when operational resources are deployed unnecessarily,” JBPM said in a statement today.

Based on records, the department received 129,114 emergency calls in 2023, 118,481 in 2024, and 91,096 as of September 2025.

JBPM said every call received by the rescue team is a valuable opportunity to save lives, but false emergency calls are not only an abuse of the system, they also have serious implications for response times, fuel consumption, and the physical and mental well-being of personnel in the field.

Most worryingly, such calls create a protection gap when the rescue team is unable to respond to incidents requiring immediate assistance, endangering lives and compromising the effectiveness of the national emergency system.

“Therefore, the public is reminded not to make false calls or misuse the emergency line, as such acts constitute an offence under the law,” the department said.

JBPM also stressed that all calls made to the 999 line are recorded and evaluated to determine whether they are genuine or false.

Making false calls to the 999 emergency line is a serious offence under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, punishable with a fine not exceeding RM50,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both, as it constitutes abuse of network services.

-- BERNAMA